Peachy Picks Greensquare Tavern
If you think it's possible to find food fresher than you can find at Greensquare Tavern, think again. The Sugar Snap Peas were the best Peachy Deegan has ever had. EVER. And she loved them so much they were devoured before a photo was even taken...but you know she is good for her word. In a day and age where the professionals are telling us to eat a million vegetables a day or we will die of cancer, it is high time we started recognizing the restaurants that have superb vegetables and Greensquare Tavern does.
Greensquare Tavern was first featured in Tasty Tidbits:
And, we are pleased to announce it has graduated to Peachy's Picks.
It is more difficult than you would think to find a great restaurant in the area that Greensquare Tavern is in-but now that we are aware they are a newcomer to the Manhattan dining scene, we can tell you that 5 West 21st Street is a neighborhood star.
Peachy began with the organic field greens and fresh tomatoes, requested by her. Usually this is with oven dried tomatoes but Peachy likes fresh ones, and Greensquare Tavern was happy to comply. Served with a winter herb mix and shallot vinaigrette, this is a spectacular way to start at Greensquare Tavern. We love that their products are 100% American-the cuisine, that is. Peachy sipped on Jean Paul Belland 2010 Sancerre (Loire).
You know Peachy Deegan just loves Greyledge Farm, so she was curious to see what the steak was like at a place committed to local farming/organic, plus we noticed a large percentage of females among the clientele (single men, take note!) - but as we appeal to both sexes, in picking the steak Peachy also sought to find a dish that was non-girly to make our readers realize that Greensquare Tavern does not need to mimic the dining hall at Miss Porter's. But that would not be a bad thing either as the food there is good.
It was ordered medium and grilled to perfection. As with every other vegetable we encountered, the brussel sprouts were absolutely delightful: crisp, bursting with flavor, and giving you the overall feeling that you were eating something naughty when in fact it was something healthy because of the decadent taste.
You know Peachy is Irish, so she loves potatoes in many shapes and forms, including these fries which were terribly authentic. Just as good as the vegetables was Executive Chef John Marsh who's genuine care and expertise as both a chef and proprietor is among the best we've seen. We can totally tell when someone really loves what they do and have a commitment to doing their best, and that is John Marsh. And he tells us he is a Mortimer's alum, and you know where the people from Swifty's came from! (If you have to ask what Swifty's is you probably never read us before, but after Peachy wrote about them a few hundred times it originated The Peachy Deegan.)
The flourless chocolate cake is just a dream.
Until it enters your mouth!
Then it is of course reality, and you know what those old Liz Claiborne ads said-reality is the best fantasy of all.
Made with SB Hispaniola 60% dark chocolate and served with fruit sauce and English cream, this is the perfect ending to a meal that hits the spot.
Our esteemed panelist adds:
We recently had the pleasure of dining at Greensquare Tavern, a great new dining establishment tucked away on a Flatiron side street. A refreshing change from so many restaurants, Greensquare Tavern is dedicated to stepping back in time, to an era when most of the food in America was supplied by small, family-run farms. Nearly all of the produce is organic and/or locally farmed; all meat and poultry are antibiotic and hormone free, and come from animals raised in a humane environment; and all fish and seafood are caught or farm-raised using ocean-friendly, sustainable practices. It’s a labor of love on the part of the partners of the restaurant, one of whom is Chef John Marsh. Mr. Marsh took the time to speak with us about his restaurant, and we were impressed by his passion for what he does and his dedication to bringing diners a better, healthier dining experience. I, for one, could definitely become a fan of this kind of dining experience if it meant more meals at Greensquare Tavern!
There were a number of tempting choices, but I ultimately opted to start with the Arugula, Shaved Fennel & Pecorino Romano, which also included roasted sweet peppers and basil, and was topped with balsamic vinaigrette. To accompany this, I selected a glass of Bottega Vinaia Pinot Grigio, which was light, refreshing, and a great complement to the salad. The salad was crisp, fresh, and full of excellent flavor, particularly from the basil and the Pecorino Romano. For my main course, I decided on the Greensquare Chicken, which was a half rotisserie roast Lancaster County chicken, with lemon, rosemary and garlic pan jus, roasted vegetables, and sweet potato fries (the dish is normally served with regular fries, but once I saw the sweet potato fries on the menu, I knew that I needed to try them)!
This dish was excellent – the flavor of the chicken was just right, and it was perfectly tender. The roasted veggies, a medley of cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, broccoli rabe, and yellow squash, were outstanding – perfectly cooked, and bursting with fresh flavor. And the sweet potato fries were some of the best I’ve tasted in the city – truly delicious! Somehow, we managed to find room for dessert, because the dessert menu just looked too tempting to resist! I was torn between the pecan pie, the carrot cake, and the blondie, but I finally decided upon the blondie and I’m so happy that I did! It was moist, chewy, and 100% delectable.
The walnuts in it added a little bit of salt to balance out the sweetness, and the chocolate chips were rich and definitely very high quality (I’m a big chocolate fan, so these things matter to me!). A perfectly brewed espresso was the perfect complement to the rich dessert. Overall, it was a lovely dining experience, and I look forward to returning again to sample more of Chef Marsh’s scrumptious creations.
Peachy Picks Greensquare Tavern!
